Marines Kerry raise flag Cuba embassy reopening Video

HAVANNA, August 13 – The Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Cuba on Friday August 14 to preside over the official ceremony of hoisting of the flag on the new US embassy.

But the American flag, once a symbol that “imperialist” also waving on the residence of the charge d’affaires of the embassy, ​​Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, where Kerry will participate in a similar ceremony in the afternoon.

Translation / El Neuvo Herald

El Nuevo Herald shares the official agenda, the guests, the absent and the most interesting of Kerry’s brief visit to Cuba.

54 YEARS

Which lasted diplomatic rift between the two countries. During that time both countries were on the verge of a nuclear confrontation, there was an attempted invasion, many exoduses and hostile rhetoric flourished.

SYMBOLIC ITEM

Cuban hoisted the same flag that was on its embassy in Washington to break off relations in 1961. The Americans do not retain the same banner – “unfortunately,” said an official from the State Department, but instead, have prepared another gesture: the three Marines who were responsible for lowering the flag in 1961 in Havana, raise it again on August 14. Their names: James Tracy, Mike and Larry Morris East.

AGENDA

▪  9:25 a.m. The Secretary Kerry meets with Foreign Minister of Switzerland, Didier Burkhalter, in Havana.

▪  9:45 a.m. Kerry chairs the flag raising ceremony at the embassy in Havana. This event will be broadcast live on www.state.gov .

▪  10:30 a.m. Kerry meets with the Archbishop of Havana, Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega Alamino in Havana.

▪  10:45 a.m. Kerry meets with staff and the families of the US embassy in Havana.

▪  11:10 a.m. Kerry meets with Foreign Minister of Cuba Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parilla, in Havana.

▪  24:30 Kerry holds a meeting with the press and the minister Rodriguez in Havana.

▪  4:20 pm Kerry chairs the flag raising ceremony at the residence of the Head of Mission in Havana.

▪  4:35 pm Kerry participated in a reception after the flag raising ceremony at the residence of the Head of Mission in Havana.

OFFICIAL U.S. DELEGATION

John Kerry , Secretary of State.

Bruce Andrews , deputy secretary of the Department of Commerce.

Karen Bass , Rep.

Sarah Bloom Raskin , assistant secretary of the Treasury.

Barbara Boxer , Senator.

Steve Cohen , representative.

Mark Feierstein , director of the National Security Council.

Jonathan Finer , chief of staff to Secretary of State.

Jeff Flake , Senator.

Roberta Jacobson , assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.

John Kirby , spokesman for the State Department.

Amy Klobuchar , senator.

Patrick Leahy , Senator.

Barbara Lee , Representative.

Tom Malinowski , assistant secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor of the State Department.

Jim McGovern , Rep.

David McKean , director of the Office of Policy Planning.

Peter Selfridge , Ambassador to the Office of Protocol.

David Thorne , senior advisor to the Secretary of State.

Kurt Tidd , assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

GUEST LIST

“The opening ceremony, which is the ceremonial raising of the flag at the embassy, ​​is mainly a government-to-government event. It will include officials from the Cuban government on a range of US government agencies and members of Congress.There will be some US citizens and Cubans, but it is primarily a government-to-government event, and is extremely limited in space, “said a senior State Department official.

“The Cubans had no say on the invitations to our event,” he added.

The State Department invited about 30 businessmen, politicians and leaders of the Cuban-American community, including Carlos Gutierrez, Alberto Ibarguen, Gustavo Arnavat, Ric Smith, Freddy Balsera, Andres Fanjul, Alfie Mesa, Joe Garcia, Ralph Patino and Felice Gorordo . Jorge Mas Santos and Eduardo Padron declined.

WHO IS NOT INVITED?

Opponents Antonio Rodiles and Berta Soler, coordinator of the Forum for Rights and Freedoms, who declined the invitation to the ceremony and reception at the residence of DeLaurentis. Opponents criticized the fact of not being invited to the official ceremony at the embassy.

“The Ladies in White are not going to be present,” Soler confirmed to El Nuevo Herald. “Not the same reception that a working meeting, is not productive,” added Soler who denounced the repression

Neither the Spanish press in Miami. Neither the Miami Herald and local news report obtained visas for the event from Havana.

PHOTO:  Mark Wilson / Getty Images